Christopher Rowe (classicist)
Christopher James Rowe OBE (17 March 1944 – 24 July 2025) was a British classical scholar, known for his work on Ancient Greek philosophy. He held academic positions at the University of Bristol and Durham University.
Life and career
[edit]Rowe was born in March, Cambridgeshire on 17 March 1944, the son of Daniel Francis and Edith Mary (née Ashford). From Trinity College, Cambridge he obtained a BA, then an MA and, in 1969, his PhD.[1] His doctoral thesis, written under the direction of John Easterling, was published as The Eudemian and Nicomachean Ethics: a study in the development of Aristotle’s thought (1971).[2]
Rowe began his career at the University of Bristol, England in 1968 as an assistant lecturer, rising to become professor of ancient philosophy and Greek (1989–1991) then Henry Overton Wills Professor of Greek (1991–1995).[3] He joined Durham University in 1996 as Professor of Greek and served as Head of Department 2004–2008.[4] He retired in 2009, becoming an Emeritus Professor.[2]
He served as President of the Classical Association, and was appointed OBE in 2009 for "services to scholarship".[4]
He delivered the Stephen MacKenna lecture at Dublin University in 2009.[5] In years prior he had also been invited to talk about mythology in primary schools.[6]
In 2019, Rowe was awarded a Leverhulme Emeritus Fellowship to complete his Oxford Classical Text of Aristotle's Eudemian Ethics,[7] which was then published in September 2023.[8] A workshop, "On Rowe's Eudemian Ethics: A Workshop on Philosophical and Textual Creativity", was held at Durham University on 25–26 January 2024, in celebration of this "monumental publication".[9]
Rowe died on 24 July 2025.[10][11]
Thought on Plato
[edit]Rowe translated into English and gave an innovative interpretation of Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics and Plato's dialogues Theaetetus and Sophist.[12]
Rowe's work includes consideration of the political ideals of Plato's Republic in relation to the details of political practice described in the Statesman and the Laws.[13] In the volume Plato and the Art of Philosophical Writing, Rowe argued that "Plato remains throughout essentially a Socratic".[14][13]
Selected publications
[edit]- The Eudemian and Nicomachean Ethics: a study in the development of Aristotle’s thought. Cambridge University Press, 1971. ISBN 9781913701093.
- Essential Hesiod (Greek text with introduction and notes). Bristol Classical Press, 1978. ISBN 9780906515150.
- Plato: Phaedrus (Greek text with introduction, translation and commentary). Aris and Phillips, 1986. ISBN 9780856683145.
- Plato: Phaedo (Greek text with introduction and commentary). Cambridge University Press, 1993. ISBN 9780521313186.
- Plato: Statesman (Greek text with introduction, translation and commentary). Aris and Phillips, 1995. ISBN 9780856686139.
- Plato: Symposium (Greek text with introduction, translation and commentary). Aris and Phillips, 1998. ISBN 9780856686153.
- with Sarah Broadie. Aristotle: Nicomachean Ethics (translation). Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN 9780198752714.
- Plato. Harvester, 1984. Second edition, Bristol Classical Press, 2003. ISBN 9781853996627.
- Plato: Phaedrus. Penguin, 2005. ISBN 9780140449747.
- with Terry Penner. Plato's Lysis. Cambridge University Press, 2005 ISBN 9780521791304.[15]
- Plato and the Art of Philosophical Writing. Cambridge University Press, 2007. ISBN 9780521859325.
- The Last Days of Socrates (translated with introduction and notes). Penguin, 2010. ISBN 9780140455496.
- Plato, Republic (new translation, with introduction and notes). Penguin, 2012. ISBN 9780141442433.
- with George Boys-Stones. The Circle of Socrates: Readings in the First-Generation Socratics (edited and translated). Hackett Publishing, 2013. ISBN 9781603849364.
- Plato, Theaetetus and Sophist (new translation, with introduction and notes) Cambridge University Press, 2015. ISBN 9781107014831.
- Aristotelis Ethica Eudemia (Oxford Classical Text). Oxford University Press, 2023. ISBN 9780198838326.
- Aristotelica: Studies on the Text of Aristotle’s Eudemian Ethics. Oxford University Press, 2023. ISBN 9780192873552.
References
[edit]- ^ Who's Who in the World. 1997. Internet Archive. Marquis Who's Who Inc. 1997. p. 1246. ISBN 978-0-8379-1117-5 – via Internet Archive.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ a b "Christopher Rowe - Aristoteles Pezographos". aristotlepezographos.org. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "Rowe, C(hristopher) J(ames)". Writers Directory 2005. Retrieved 14 February 2025 – via Encyclopedia.com.
- ^ a b "Prof. Christopher Rowe, OBE, MA, PhD (Cantab.)". Department of Classics and Ancient History: Staff. Durham University. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
- ^ Rowe, Christopher (2009). "Reading Socrates in Plato's Dialogues (Stephen MacKenna Lecture, Dublin, January 2009)". Hermathena (186): 25–41. ISSN 0018-0750. JSTOR 23041698.
- ^ Tyler, Christian (31 January 1998). "The logic of learning Latin". The Financial Times. p. iv – via Internet Archive.
Christopher Rowe, professor of Greek at Durham University, is invited to talk to primary schools about mythology. 'I find it exhilarating. ! don't mind at what level l teach people, so long as I have people to teach.'
- ^ "Many congratulations to Professor Christopher Rowe". Durham University. 3 May 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "Aristotle's Eudemian Ethics: Christopher Rowe". Oxford University Press. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ "'On Rowe's Eudemian Ethics': A Workshop on Philosophical and Textual Creativity (University of Durham)". Classical Association. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ Weinberg, Justin (28 July 2025). "Christopher Rowe (1944-2025)". Daily Nous. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
- ^ Classical Assocation [@Classical_Assoc] (29 July 2025). "We're deeply saddened to report the death of Prof. Christopher Rowe, Emeritus @durham_uni and our former Hon Pres. Christopher was Chair of Council for many years & instrumental in guiding us into 21stC with renewed vigour & innovation. Our condolences to his family & colleagues" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Rowe, Christopher (26 May 2016). "Getting to know Plato". Retrieved 7 January 2020.
- ^ a b Maffi, Emanuele (2013). "Christopher Rowe, Plato and the Art of Philosophical Writing". Bulletin Platonicien. Commentaires Aux Dialogues de Platon (in Italian) (10). Revues.org. doi:10.4000/etudesplatoniciennes.224. ISSN 2275-1785. OCLC 7685568088. Retrieved 7 January 2021. (critical recension)
- ^ Rowe, Christopher (2007). Plato and the Art of Philosophical Writing. Cambridge University Press. p. 18. ISBN 9781139467797.
- ^ A list of Rowe's work was formerly available on the Durham university website: "Prof. CJ Rowe, OBE - all publications". Durham University. 2 May 2014. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
